


Plotted

by Abercrombie



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Fantasy, M/M, Time Travel
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-06-24
Updated: 2018-07-21
Packaged: 2019-05-27 14:43:19
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 6
Words: 12,484
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15026906
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Abercrombie/pseuds/Abercrombie
Summary: Casual author, Kim Jongin, was known in the workplace for his crush on his co-worker, Do Kyungsoo. But when Jongin's life comes to a sudden end, he goes to a world he never thought was possible: His own story, where the main protagonist, "D.O.", happens to be a complete replica of Kyungsoo himself. Will Jongin start over with a new Kyungsoo? Or can convince himself D.O. and Kyungsoo are different people?





	1. Premonition

_Post_ _has been updated!_

Jongin sighs, falling back into his chair. He leans in to check the time.

_12:17 AM_

He should be sleeping right now. But having finished the last chapter of this story, his sense of accomplishment overcomes the sleepiness. 

Closing his laptop, Jongin dives into the bedsheets. Small tears pool in his eyes as he yawns. 

He has work tomorrow. If he asks for a day off again, that'll be the third time. Surely he'll get fired. Not that he's worried about it. He can make a living off of, like...Youtube, right?

Jongin yawns again. His eyelids pull themselves closed. 

For the first time in a while, falling asleep doesn’t need effort. Slumber‘s forgiving claws close in on Jongin as he wonders what type of face he makes when he sleeps. 

 

_The story is about a grumpy young man who lived alone in the woods. He hunted deer and played with the smaller mammals._

_One day, his city was attacked by knights from another land. He was forced to migrate from the rural area that he was used to. In the big city, he met the prince that ruled his country. In exchange for money, he agreed to work for the prince._

_He was given a room and plenty of food. The prince chatted with him every day. He could not be more grateful towards the prince._

_One day, the prince seemed to be troubled. He refused to eat or drink, and never left his room._

_The young man grew worried. “What trouble stretches your days, your highness?” he asked._

_The prince took his hands, and cried, “What a dreadful day this is! One of my dear brothers has gone missing!”_

_Wanting to thank the prince for everything he did, the young man vowed to find his brother._

_The next day, the two say their goodbyes, and the young man sets out in search for the missing prince._

 

_Brrring!_

Jongin jerks out of slumber when the sound of his alarm rips through his ears. His hands fly to turn it off. 

The sound stops. Jongin squints at his phone screen to see the time.

 _6:47?_   _Right, I have work._

Jongin forces himself up to grab his uniform from his closet. When he sees himself in the mirror, he hides his face in his hands. "I can do this, I can do this...I just need some coffee, that's all."

Grabbing his keys, Jongin leaves the apartment.

A drop of water hits his head. He looks up. "You wanna be a bitch today as well, don't you?"

On Jongin's way to work, the rain starts to pour. When he meets his third red light he falls back into his seat, wondering whether or not he should've slept in today too. 

His phone vibrates. He only glances once to see that it's a text.

_...Wait._

He snatches his phone from the cupholder. 

From: The Devil

No work today. Snow is going to be harsher than usual. Be safe!

"What the-" Jongin grabs his hair. _I put so much effort into leaving the house!_

He looks around, exasperated. _Right, but I did forget my earbuds at work last week. Should I go get them?_

 

Choose:

[Go to work.](https://archiveofourown.org/works/15026906/chapters/34835612)

[Turn back home.](https://archiveofourown.org/works/15026906/chapters/34835639)


	2. Angel

The light turns green.

Jongin's heart skips as he steps on the pedal so quick he almost bumps into the car in front of him. He rushes to the workplace, almost exceeding the speed limit. 

When he arrives, he sees none other than Kyungsoo's car parked outside the milk tea shop. 

When Jongin enters, Kyungsoo isn't at the counter, but rather sitting in the customers' area. One hand around a tall cup of tea, the other holding down a rather thick book. 

Their polar gazes meet as Jongin approaches where Kyungsoo is sitting. Jongin smiles at him while Kyungsoo gives him a look of, 'why are you here?'

"Hey," Jongin greets awkwardly.

“Today’s off,” Kyungsoo says. Evidently, he expected to be alone. The sign at the door is flipped to, ‘CLOSED’ and the only source of light is coming from outside. 

“I know, just forgot something,” Jongin replies. He takes downs a chair from another table and sits on it backward across from Kyungsoo. “So...is reading in the dark your aesthetic?”

“The lights were going to attract attention,” Kyungsoo says, sounding offended. “...And yes, if you need to know”

Jongin hides a smile behind his arm. Kyungsoo refuses to look at him, eyes glued onto his book. 

Jongin looks around to scan the restaurant. Empty and dark. “Did anyone else come?” 

“No, and I don’t want them to," Kyungsoo looks up at him. “That includes you.”

Jongin nods slowly, a quite pathetic, "ok" escaping from him. Minutes of silence pass. Jongin is apprehensive about bringing up awkward subjects, yet the other man probably just has nothing to say. 

“Today’s off, you know,” Kyungsoo says.

“I know,” Jongin asks.

“You forgot something, right?”

“N-...yes. Yes, I did, actually.”

Kyungsoo is quiet for a moment. "I put your earbuds near the cash register for you," he says, nodding towards the counter.

Jongin only spares a quick glance over at the counter. Then returns to staring at the top of Kyungsoo's head, where the swirl lies.

Did he dye his hair? He smells so nice; is he wearing cologne? Or is it shampoo? Perhaps Old Spice?

The man looks up and their gazes meet. Boring into Kyungsoo's eyes with his own, Jongin sees a hostile glare quickly diminish to a timid look. 

Kyungsoo's fingertips are white around his book. He resumes reading, this time leaning on a hand, face half-covered. His face is...angry. As if the book had done something wrong.

"Go stare at someone your own size," he murmurs.

"It's nothing like that!" Jongin blurts. "I think you're a cool person, and-..."

Kyungsoo's hands twitch. "Me? Cool?" he says with a hesitant laugh. "Where did you hear that?"

"I didn't, you just seem so-"

"You don't know me, Kim."

Jongin sits there, trying to think up a good argument. But the man was right; he doesn't know anything about Kyungsoo. He's only seen so little, it would be dumb to assume anything.

But.

But..!

Kyungsoo stands up, interrupting Jongin's thoughts. "I yell," he says. "I yell, a lot. I scold people, I boss them around. When you guys eat, I'm never invited. Whenever you guys go out for drinks, I'm never invited. Whenever you guys talk, you're always looking in my direction! I'm not falling for it, Kim."

"What are you _talking_ about?" Jongin responds, standing up as well.

Kyungsoo glares at him like an angry child. "You lost a bet, didn't you?"

"I-" Jongin pauses, taken aback. _What?_ "I can't believe you'd accuse me of something like that!"

"Because no one likes m-"

" _I_ like you!"

Kyungsoo falls quiet, face a mixture of anger and shock. Like he'd just been told to shut up.

"I like you," Jongin repeats quietly. "No one hates you, they're just scared because you seem angry all the time. You've said before that you don't drink. And you don't even yell that often."

The sound of wheels over wet pavement replaces the silence between them. The color-stained windows paint on Kyungsoo's blank expression.

Faces as beautiful as this aren't found in museums. 

Sitting back down, Kyungsoo looks defeated. He closes his book and slides it under the table, but Jongin caught a glimpse of the cover.

"Kyungsoo, is that," he stutters, "is that...Fifty Shades Darker?"

"No!" Kyungsoo shouts, making Jongin flinch. "I mean...Maybe." He looks up. When Jongin smiles at him, he jumps. "I'm not a fan, I swear!"

"That's the sequel," Jongin states. The other man mortified expression makes him chuckle. "Come with us the next time we go out. I'll get you water and you can pretend you're an adult." Jongin winks at Kyungsoo as he walks over to the counter. He takes his earbuds, then freezes. Turning around, he adds, "If you want to, that is. Call me sometime."

Jongin heads for the door, taking his time with every step. He hopes that Kyungsoo would stop him by calling out. It always happens in dram-

"Kim!"

Jongin stops, grinning from ear to ear. He turns around with a poker face. "Hm?"

Kyungsoo stands with his hands behind him. "I'll...I'll go."

A smile pulls at Jongin's lips again. He waves before closing the door. 

When he gets in his car, he slaps a hand over chest. _I just did that!_

 _I talked to_ _Kyungsoo!_

His phone vibrates. After taking a moment to cool down, he picks up.

"Hello?"

_"Did you go today?"_

It's Chanyeol. He also works with Jongin. He was the one who recommended Jongin to the boss, and now they're only occasionally allowed in the kitchen together due to a few near-death incidences.

"Yes, and Kyungsoo was there too," Jongin says.

 _"Kyung-!"_ Chanyeol loses signal. For a second, there is only static. Then the audio returns to normal. _"I came early, and he was there too. I swear, he was staring at me the whole time."_

"Oh?" Jongin turns on the engine. He takes one last look at the restaurant before driving away. 

 _"I think he hates me,"_ says Chanyeol. _"Jongin?"_

"Mm."

_"I think he hates me."_

"He's not that bad, Yeol," Jongin assures. 

_"Did I do something to him?"_

Jongin stops as a light turns red. He sighs, leaning back in his seat. He picks up his phone from the cup holder to hold it closer. "I don't know, Yeol, you might've."

A loud _BANG!_ echoes through the streets.

"Shit!" startled by the volume, Jongin's phone falls out of his hand.

 _"Jongin?!"_ Chanyeol yells through the speakers.

Jongin reaches to pull out his phone from under the seat. "I'm fine, I'm fine."

_"What was that?"_

"I..." Jongin looks around. Nothing seems to be out of the ordinary. "I'm not sure...Maybe something heavy dropped or...'

 _"What the f..."_ Chanyeol mumbles. _"Anyways, about the Kyungsoo thing. It's just- I don't know, man. I just came in and...like, the way he looked at me, just- ugh!"_

"You sound troubled."

 _"No, guess what he said to me,"_ Chanyeol says. "He said, 'Why are you here'. I shit you not."

"He says that to everyone."

 _"You're not_ listening  _to me, Jongin!"_ Chanyeol cries. _"...Do you think he'll be back with a shotgun?"_

The light turns green. 

Jongin laughs through his nose. "Don't be silly, this isn't Detroit."

As if fate had a comeback ready, another bang rings his ears. At the same time, his windshield shatters. The broken pieces of glass pierce through any sign of confidence he had in uttering that statement. 

Every emotion he has ever felt burn into one hot coal in his chest. He opens his mouth, but the words refuse to speak. 

 _"Jongin?! Jongin!"_ Chanyeol panics. _"I hear bullets! Jongin!"_

Looking down with wide eyes, Jongin's suspicions are confirmed; He had been shot in the chest, and the blood was escaping too quickly. Did it hit the heart?

 _I'm gonna die_ , he thinks. _Jesus, I'm dying..._

The pain recedes along with his self-control. Everything starts to fade; the gunshots following the first, Chanyeol's cries, the honking of other cars around him, and the screaming in the streets.

Then everything blurs into one color.

 

[ Continue to chapter 3](https://archiveofourown.org/works/15026906/chapters/34835693)


	3. Angel

"Fuck all of this," Jongin grumbles, making a U-turn. 

His phone vibrates. After stopping at a red light, he picks up.

"Hello?"

_"Did you go today?"_

It's Chanyeol. He also works with Jongin. He was the one who recommended Jongin to the boss, and now they're only occasionally allowed in the kitchen together due to a few near-death incidences.

"No," Jongin says.

 _"Oh-"_ Chanyeol loses signal. For a second, there is only static. Then the audio returns to normal. _"I came early, and Kyungsoo was there. I swear, he was staring at me the whole time."_

"Oh?" Jongin turns on the engine. He takes one last look at the restaurant before driving away. 

 _"I think he hates me,"_ says Chanyeol. _"Jongin?"_

"Mm."

_"I think he hates me."_

"I don't think he's that bad, Yeol," Jongin assures. 

_"Did I do something to him?"_

Jongin stops as a light turns red. He sighs, leaning back in his seat. He picks up his phone from the cup holder to hold it closer to his ear. "I don't know, Yeol, you might've."

The light turns green. 

_"It's just- I don't know, man. I just came in and...like, the way he looked at me, just- ugh!"_

"You sound troubled."

 _"No, guess what he said to me,"_ Chanyeol says. _"He said, 'Why are you here?' I shit you not."_

"He says that to everyone."

 _"You're not listening to me, Jongin!"_ Chanyeol cries. _"...Do you think he'll be back with a shotgun?"_

Jongin laughs through his nose. "Don't be silly, this isn't Detroit."

Chanyeol cackles exaggeratedly. _"That was funny. You're too funny, Jongie."_

Jongin rolls his eyes. He stops at another red light.

_"Hey, Jongin."_

" _What._  Do you want?" Jongin sighs.

 _"Let's go out,"_ Chanyeol suggests. _"Not in that way. Like I'm hungry."_

Jongin doesn't want to. "Sorry, I'm sick and don't feel like leaving my house."

 _"No, please!"_ Chanyeol protests.

Jongin sighs. "Chanyeol."

_"Jongin."_

"Look, I don't feel like driving you there."

_"You don't have to. Look to your right."_

Jongin looks at his phone screen, then looked out the passenger's window. 

He froze as he was met with a blank-faced Chanyeol. The other man slowly brings his phone up to his mouth.

_"You're mine now."_

 

"I hate you," Jongin says across from Chanyeol. "You really told the lady we were a couple."

"Shhh!" Chanyeol reaches over to cover Jongin's mouth. He looks around surreptitiously, before leaning in to whisper, "The prices are cheaper for couples. And you know your boy's broke as hell."

Jongin sighs.

Chanyeol stops chewing his fries. "Hey, look. I'm sorry. I know it was embarrassing for you, but...I just couldn't help it."

"It's not that," Jongin says. "I just...don't know what to do with my life, you know?"

"Well neither do I, but I don't complain."

"You're so sad."

"I know."

Jongin sighs once again, looking out the window. 

_I wonder how many comments my story got. I never checked, did I?_

"By the way," Chanyeol says, leaning in, "were those your earbuds at the restaurant? I think it was yours. When I came in, the Kyungsoo guy had his hands on them. I told him they were yours and that he shouldn't touch them. He was _stealing_ , Jongie!"

"Yeol, that was about the rudest thing I've ever heard come out of your mouth," Jongin snapped. " _You_ should be apologizing, not him."

"I-" Chanyeol stutters defensively, "I was only trying to help!"

"You're gonna go up to him tomorrow and you're gonna apologize for being rude," Jongin firmly says.

Chanyeol gawks at him. "Jongin!"

"Honestly, have some decency," Jongin stands up to pour his trash away. He doesn't bother to return to the table, and instead walks right out the door.

The fog has thickened, and the rain refuses to abate. The clouds hung low and heavy.

 _They must be leaning in so they could hear my misery,_ Jongin thinks.

He lets out a sigh. His emotions had taken over again. Now it's obvious that he has a thing for Kyungsoo.

Kyungsoo. The man who would yell at you and boss everyone around. He'd garner respect from his seniors, but bitterness from anyone else. Anyone but Jongin. Because he loved Kyungsoo's atittude. 

Jongin covers his face and lets the droplets of rain run down his body, hoping they could take some of his troubles with them. 

"Look, man. I'm sorry," Chanyeol says from behind. "I didn't know you felt that type of way."

Jongin turns around, a lazy smile on his face. "It's fi-"

_BANG!_

Chanyeol's eyes grow wide. "Oh my fucking god!"

_BANG!_

Jongin looks at him in confusion. Then, he feels a tight pressure in his back. The pain starts multiplying by the second.

He looks down at himself, mouth open. Blood. So much blood. It stains Chanyeol's clothes too. 

Bit by bit, the chaos slowly accumulates; From hearing his best friend tear his own vocal chords out to even more gunshots. Eventually, the sound of glasses shattering seemed to snap the customers out of their trances. They pool out of the building, the sounds of their feet hitting against the pavement combining into what sounded like a herd of cattle.

Jongin grabs Chanyeol's good arm. "Yeol, we have to run."

They don't make it far before Jongin loses control of his legs. Chanyeol rushes to catch him. "Jongin! JONGIN!"

_It's over. I'm gonna die._

_I'm gonna die!_

_I'm_

_going_

_to_

_die!_

Before his vision fades, Jongin remembers Chanyeol struggling to get him into his back. A task that demanded much strength, yet Chanyeol managed to pull it off.. 

_Yeol, does it hurt? I've never heard you scream like that. It's all my fault. I shouldn't have let my anger get the best of me. I'm sorry you had to be a part of this._

Listening to all of Chanyeol's sniffles and 'It's gonna be okay's, Jongin thinks he might just cry too.

 

 [ Continue to chapter 3](https://archiveofourown.org/works/15026906/chapters/34835693)


	4. Spitting Image

It's cold.

It's freezing, Jongin thinks when he comes to. He moves to pick himself up, then realizes it's grass that he is on. The air is thin, laced with the subtle smell of gunpowder. The taste of his own blood still linger on his tongue. "Who?" question the owls above him, as if to inquire his sudden appearance.

This is not where he was shot.

He gets up, expecting a sharp pain to shoot through his chest. However, nothing came.

Eyes searching around for any sign of civilization, Jongin wonders whether he was even alive. 

The trees stretch into the sky and blend into one big black shape at the bottom. It was so dark, Jongin could only clearly see the moonlit sky above.

_I have to find shelter..._

Jongin is only able to get on all fours before he hears faint footsteps. As they grow louder, so do his heartbeats. The speed at which they moved suggests that it has to be another human approaching. 

When Jongin realizes the creature is heading directly towards him, he lies back down.

Suddenly, he feels something hit his waist, and not too long after, a loud _thump!_  

Jongin groans in pain before he is blinded by a bright light. The next thing he knew, he was staring into a young face.

Said man's eyes widen, and he screams, dropping his flashlight. "Jesus Christ!" 

Jongin, too, lets out a yelp, scurrying away as fast as he could. The other man seems to be fumbling with something. Seconds later, Jongin is caught off guard as he is hit in the head by a hard object. His hands fly up to shield his head. "What the _fuck_ ," he yells.

He stands up, and freezes when he sees that the man is armed.

"You're not from here," the young man whispers. He aims his rifle so that Jongin is staring straight into the dark barrel. 

Baffled and terrified, Jongin lifts both his hands. "Sir-" he chokes on his own words. What if the man pulls the trigger right here, right now? If this is heaven, will he be sent back to the real world? Is it even possible to die twice? 

_No. no no no...this can't be! The 2 gigabytes of porn on my computer...This has to be hell!_

"Who are you?!"

Jongin flinches out of his thoughts. "P-pardon?"

"Who, the  _fuck_..." the man closes in on Jongin, making him take a few steps back. "...are you?"

"I...!" Jongin blurts, "I'm just looking for a place to stay!" He does the only thing he can think of and falls to his knees. He sees the man's feet quickly shuffle back in response to the sudden movement. "I mean no harm, sir. I...I don't know where I am, and it's dark and I'm scared of the dark."

An unknown amount of seconds pass, and there is no reply from the other body. 

_I can't see anything...He could be aiming straight down at my head._

Jongin clenches his fists against the damp dirt. Then suddenly, he feels an object hit the ground in front of him. He looks up apprehensively, only to find that it was the rifle's snout. The man had lowered his rifle.

His gaze floats up to the man's face. All that can be seen is a blob of color, for Jongin does not have his glasses with him. He could not see what kind of expression the man is making. 

The man then turns around and starts walking away.

"Get up."

Jongin stares at his back. "E-excuse me?"

"Do you want to stay out here in the cold, or not?" the man snaps. Jongin flinches at his harsh tone, then rushes to get on his feet.

The pair walk through the woods in silence. Jongin is not sure what to say, but the young man seemed to have his mind on something else.

Jongin's city doesn't have owls, so he's never been near one his whole life. But here they were; a bunch of them, perched upon high tree branches. Their yellow eyes follow him, and it etched a slight fear into him.

Jongin takes faster steps to catch up with the young man ahead. When Jongin closes the distance between them, the young man turns his head to give him a questioning look. "You're awfully close."

"These owls really give me the creeps," Jongin says with a shakey voice, laughing to cover up his anxiety. 

The young man said nothing for a long while. Then, "You mean the Shapes?"

Jongin stutters in his step. "Shapes?"

"You live in a cave? These things are everywhere," says the young man.

Jongin's jaw drops. The Shapes; creatures he had written for his most recent work. They exist as shadows, though they often shapeshifted to blend in with their surroundings. They have a profound sense of smell and eat like leeches; latching onto animals and drinking their blood. 

The young man flinches when Jongin suddenly grabs his arm. "What the-"

"How are you so calm right now?!" Jongin yells, earning a hand over his mouth.

Both men stop. The young man shoots a surreptituous look around him before taking his hand away. He glares at Jongin. "Shut. Up. These things smell fear. You wanna be sucked dry?"

"In a way," Jongin mumbles.

"What?"

"Nothing. By the way, where do you even live? 'Cause we've been walking for way too long."

The young man shines his flashlight from below his face. "Within the depths of hell," he says very seriously.

Jongin expects him to break out into laughter, maybe let out a playful, 'just kidding'. But he doesn't. Instead, he turns off the flashlight and starts walking off.

"We should be there in not too long."

 _"'There', as in hell or your home?"_ Jongin almost asks, but decides it's best he doesn't get an answer.

Silence passes between Jongin and the stranger beside him. Ocassionally, he hears a 'hoo', but then knowing that the owls making them aren't actually owls unsettles him.

"What's your name?" the young man asks. 

Jongin is surprised by being asked a personal question by a man who seems so closed off. It's a slight honor. But he doesn't want to give his information to this man just yet.

"...Kai," he says. Kai was the alias he'd written his stories under. It was a unisex name, and he didn't want his readers to know that he, a grown man, was writing stories about princes and magic.

Through the tree branches, Jongin finally sees a source of light from afar. That must be the young man's house.

Unless he _did_ live in hell, and the light is actually fire.

"Kai, huh?" hums the young man. "Kai. Short and simple. Like names should be."

"Is yours not?"

"No, it is. But you can't talk about the prince without saying his entire name. Prince Baekhyun the Third? No, thank you."

Another awkward silence. 

"...Are you gonna tell me what it is?" Jongin asks.

"I'm not giving you my information just yet, so I'm going to think of a fake name."

"Wooow!"

The young man laughs, and just for a second, memories of Kyungsoo invade Jongin's mind. He shakes his head to rid of the thoughts. 

"Call me D.O." the young man says, sounding satisfied with his decision. 

It dawns slowly on Jongin. The man gave himself such a specific name. Moreover, it sounded so familiar to Jongin. Where has he heard that name?

D...O?

 

D.O.

 

D.O.

 

_D.O...The 23-year-old hunter who lived alone in the woods and set out on a mission to find a missing prince._

That's right...everything made sense now. The Shapes, Prince Baekhyun the Third, and now, "D.O."? It's not a coincidence. It's not new to Jongin at all. Those names were given by him.

They finally reach D.O.'s home. He _does_  live in a cabin, just as Jongin had described in his story.

It is warm inside, and the furniture smells of pine. Not Jongin's favorite scent.

"So, here's the problem," D.O. explains, "I live alone, so obviously there's only one room. And so we have to share it."

"Oh, that's no big-" Jongin is cut off when he sees D.O.'s face for the first time without darkness obscuring his view. 

God...he's _identical_ to the Kyungsoo back home. The only difference was D.O.'s short cut that exposed his rather thick eyebrows. Otherwise, nothing changed. His height; his eyes that seemed to hold a thousand stories; the faint dark circles under them; his nose, pink from the cold; his cupid's bow...

"Kai," D.O. says, snapping Jongin out of his trance. 

"Y-yeah?"

"You look like you've seen a ghost."

"Oh..." Jongin scans the cabin nervously. "I'm fine with sharing rooms and all...lead the way, please."

D.O. looks at him suspiciously before taking off his thick, brown coat that looked far too large for him. He heads towards what Jongin assumes to be his room.

Jongin stares at the front door in worry. It has no locks on it. This man really doesn't care if he dies.

"Kai!"

"Coming."

D.O.'s bedroom is the only part of the cabin that has a clock. It's almost 11 at night, but D.O looks nowhere near tired.

"So you want the bed, or the floor?" D.O asks. "Either way, I'm taking the bed, so...If the idea of sleeping next to another male upsets you...I don't know what to tell you."

"I'll be sleeping on the bed, thank you very much," Jongin says after taking a look at the _wooden_ floor.

"You want a change of clothes?" D.O. asks. Jongin is thrown a pile of pajamas before he has time to answer. He is about to thank D.O. for his generosity when the other man takes off his shirt.

"Woah, woah, woah!" Jongin covers his eyes.

"What?"

"You're not embarrassed?!"

"Should I be?"

 _This guy_ really  _doesn't care_ , Jongin thinks. He turns to shuffle out of D.O.s bedroom while the other man calls his name, baffled.

"He looks like Soo," Jongin whispers to himself. He takes a deep dreath.

Of course. Jongin based D.O. off of Kyungsoo, so it would make sense for them to look alike.

Does that mean Prince Chan will look like Chanyeol?

D.O. comes out of his roomwith Jongin's set of clothes. "Are you going to change, or...?"

"Yeah, I am," Jongin says timidly. Grabbing his pajamas, he returns to D.O.'s room, making sure to close the door behind him. He tries to make sense of the situation as he changes out of his uncomfortable jeans and sweat-soaken t-shirt. 

The story starts off late at night. D.O. comes back home from his daily hunting, empty-handed. The next day is when he has to flee to the city. If the time here stays true to the plotline, they should have soldiers coming tomorrow.

"Ok," Jongin reassures himself, "just follow the story, and you'll be good."

D.O. knocks on the door. "Are you done?"

"Yeah, come in."

D.O. enters and heads straight to the bed. Jongin follows him apprehensively. 

He's not used to sleeping next to someone. D.O. also lives alone, yet he doesn't seem to bothered by it the slightest. 

Jongin slides under the covers, careful to keep as much distance between him and D.O. as possible. 

"Kai," D.O. says, making Jongin jump.

"Y-yeah?" Jongin replies awkwardly.

Silence. Then, "Nothing. Goodnight."

Jongin is scared to ask D.O. what he was about to say. He accidentally blurts, "Goodnight, Soo," before slapping a hand over his mouth.

D.O. says nothing. 


	5. Misunderstood

"Kai. Kai...Kai! "

Jongin is torn from slumber when D.O. slaps him across the face. He gives him a what-the-fuck look when he finally comes to.

"I think there's someone outside," D.O. whisper-shouts. Jongin looks around the room for a window, only to realize D.O. didn't have any.

D.O. doesn't panic until they hear the sound of leaves crunching somewhere behind a near wall. 

"I'm getting my gun," the protagonist says, determined. leaps out of bed and runs outside the room, Jongin following suit.

D.O. already has his rifle loaded. The same one he had aimed at Jongin the night before. 

"D.O, I really don't think this is a good-"

D.O. kicks open the front door and storms through while Jongin stands there, not sure if he should follow.

He remembers writing this very scene, except he wasn't in it, of course.

If everything had gone well in the original story, maybe he shouldn't interfere here.

Jongin tip-toes outside. It is barely morning. The thin air pierces Jongin's throat with every breath.

He gets behind a nearby tree when he sees D.O. along with two knights on horses. D.O has his rifle lowered. He must have recognized from the armor that they were allies.

"You live here?" asks one of the knights.

"Yes. What seems to be the problem?" D.O. is in a slightly defensive stance, ready to fight if they came any closer.

"The Parks seem to be launching a siege on us. We think it's best we make sure every one of our citizens returns safely within the walls, in case they..." the knight pauses, "...attack anyone."

One of the horses makes eye contact with Jongin. Jongin gasps, straightening his body to hide as much of it behind the tree as possible.

"Looks like Harold's spotted something," one of the knights points out.

Jongin's eyes widen. This wasn't part of the story. Has he disrupted the chain of events? 

"Mister, does anyone else live around this area that you are aware of?" the other knight questions in suspicion. D.O. is silent for a solid second as if to choose his words carefully.

"Yes, I share my cabin with a friend," he finally says. 

Way to throw me under the bus! Jongin panicks, contemplating whether or not he should just bolt for it. He peeks his head back out, catching same horse's attention. This time, the knights notice him. 

They place their hands on their rifles, and Jongin freezes.

"Is that him?" a knight asks.

D.O. turns around with a stern expression. He motions with his head for Jongin to get his ass over there, and Jongin reluctantly obeys. He stands beside D.O, feeling like his taller height makes him more prone to being attacked.

The knights both stare, probably wondering why Jongin was hiding, to begin with. Luckily, they avoid the topic. "We will escort the two of you back to the city."

D.O. requests to go back and gather his important items before leaving. When he comes back with his rucksack, the knights signal for their horses to start walking. D.O. and Jongin follow close behind. 

"If you see something suspicious, let us know."

"Yes, sir."

Throughout the trip to the city, the two knights end up being the only ones talking to each other while D.O. minds his own business. Jongin looks around awkwardly, trying his best to enjoy the forest view. He never understands people who enjoy sightseeing.

He turns to D.O. God, he's gorgeous. 

I should talk to him.

The man in question seems to notice him looking and stares back.

Jongin stiffens. Maybe not...

He tears his eyes away and lets out a long sigh.

The city is just as Jongin had imagined; no motor vehicles in sight, wide cobblestone streets filled with merchants and women with their children. It never seemed weird to Jongin to imagine a medieval setting, but it feels so weird now that it is right in front of him. 

D.O. looks uncomfortable. There are probably more people around than he would like.

Jongin pinches his own arm to confirm that this is a reality, and all that comes is a couple looks as he hisses in pain.

The two knights stop their horses. "Here we are."

"Thank you," D.O. says, looking around. When the knights leave, Jongin turns to him.

"You're awfully calm about getting taken from your home," he says. D.O.'s eyes widen like he's found the answer to something.

"My father owns a tailor here," he says.

"Great. You know where that is?"

"...No."

"Bro," Jongin blurts, then realizes that D.O. doesn't know modern slang. The shorter man looks at him, questioning him with his eyes.

"That was just..."  Jongin trails off, deciding to just change the topic. "Well, then what about your mom? She must be around here as well."

D.O. stares off blankly. "...I don't have a mother."

Jongin opens his mouth, then closes it. He mentally facepalms. How could he, of all people, forget?

"Okay, nevermind that," he puts his hands over his mouth as he thinks. "Do you have money?"

D.O. checks inside his rucksack. "Not too much."

"Maybe if you find some sort of hotel around, we have at least a few days with a place to stay," Jongin suggests. D.O. looks unsure for a second.

"Okay," he finally agrees. "Help me look for an inn."

"Sure thing," Jongin says, not wanting to have to explain to D.O. how absolute shit his vision is. While the other man is off doing his own thing, he pretends to search around when eventually, something dawns on him.

He stops and grabs D.O.'s shoulder. The other man spins around, alarmed. 

"Um," Jongin fidgets. "I think we should just stay out here."

D.O. narrows his eyes. "Why?"

Because in the story you end up homeless on the streets and Prince Baekhyun the Third takes you in all because he feels bad for you but now since you're gonna be where he can't see you the plot will stop progressing and I'm scared of how that will affect me. "Because Prince Baekhyun is in town."

"Who cares?" D.O. resumes looking. 

"Wait!" Jongin chases after him. "Don't you wanna meet him?"

"I couldn't give two shits about the royal family if I wanted to."

Jongin stares at the back of D.O.'s head as the man walks away. Who hurt you? he thinks. 

Now that it has come to mind, he's never gone in-depth on D.O.'s background. He only wrote that story for fun in his free time. To be honest, he himself isn't too sure what happened to D.O.'s mom.

"Wait, Kyungs- I mean, D.O.!" Jongin catches up to him again, once again grabbing his shoulder. D.O. whips around and smacks his hand off.

"Stop touching me."

"I guarantee you won't regret it."

"You know what," D.O. lifts his hands up in a defensive manner, "if you want to meet the prince that badly, I'm not stopping you. But I'm only here for a roof over my head." He then realizes something. "And how do you know the prince is in town? I thought you weren't from here."

Shit...

"...Word got around?"

D.O. stares at him suspiciously. "Either go with me, or stay on your own," he finally says, marching off.

Jongin sighs. He follows D.O. through the streets of Byun (yes, the king had named the place after himself), politely declining merchants who offered their goods. 

He bumps into someone and profusely apologizes while the people surrounding him gasp in horror.

Whispers rose around him as he wonders what he did wrong.

"My goodness, he just shoved the prince!"

"He pushed Prince Baekhyun!"

"Who does he think he is?"

The person he bumps into turns around, bows, then continues walking. Jongin gets only a glimpse of his face and holy Jesus, he is smoking hot.

Wait, what?

Jongin slaps himself. He didn't just think someone other than Kyungsoo was attractive.

But D.O. is attractive, and he's not Kyungsoo.

That's a whole different story.

No, it's not- Hold on, that's not the issue here. Jongin looks back, and the person is still in sight. He's in formal attire, this hair is well-done, his walk is professional, his posture is confident, and he's drawing attention wherever he goes.

Jongin's jaw drops. He just bumped into A FUCKING PRINCE!

Said man doesn't seem bothered by it. Hell, he probably doesn't even remember what just happened. But people are still shaking their heads and commenting on how rude Jongin is. 

Jongin flushes, and escapes the crowd by fleeing in the direction D.O. was going when he realizes the man was nowhere to be found.

"D.O?" he calls out.

No answer.

Not like the guy would just reply by shouting 'Kai!' in public, right?

Jongin speeds through the city, frantically searching for his protagonist. At one point, he considers asking people if they've seen a midget with a rifle, but his lack of social communication skills stops him.

His legs start to get worn out, and he starts panting. The cold, thin air suddenly becomes unbearable to inhale.

When breathing finally becomes difficult, Jongin comes to a stop. 

In the middle of a buzzing crowd, on a foreign street, he gasps for whatever air he can get.

"Shit," he coughs loudly. I don't have my inhaler...

Or my glasses...

Or my phone...

I don't have anything!

Jongin scans the area. No D.O, only weird stares.

He's truly alone.

Tears well up in his eyes. A whimper escapes him before he slaps a hand over his mouth, hoping no one had heard him.

Calm down.

Calm down.

Wiping his eyes, Jongin straightens himself up. 

He created this world. He's basically a god here! These people just don't know it.

Jongin takes a deep breath. "Just keep walking," he whispers to himself.

As time passes, more people fill the streets. Specifically, young women who probably looking for the prince, while Jongin is praying he would eventually see D.O. wandering around.

Jongin gives up on the searching and just walks around aimlessly, head down and arms hanging at his sides.

"Kyungsoo, are you gonna join us?" Chanyeol shouts across the kitchen. It had been their lunch break, and the employees always hung out in pairs. All except Kyungsoo, the man with earphones plugged in, too absorbed in the book on his lap to reply to Chanyeol.

Chanyeol turns to Jongin. "Bro, you think he just ignored me or is his music that loud?"

Jongin laughs. "It's probably the music," he assures.

"Why don't you go talk to him?"

"Dude, did no one teach you not to talk to someone with their earphones in?"

"Bet he likes you."

"..." He did not just use Jongin's crush on Kyungsoo against him. "I don't even care."

"Oh, but you care whenever he's not around."

As Jongin flushes in embarrassment, he catches something out of the corner of his eye.

Behind Chanyeol, ever so slightly, a smirk adorns Kyungsoo's face. It goes away as quickly as it appeared, then Kyungsoo is back to that blank expression he had before.

Jongin is stunned. Was Kyungsoo listening after all? 

That would mean he completely ignored Chanyeol the first time.

Jongin snickers at the thought.

Chanyeol shoots him a look. "What are you thinking of now, you demon spawn?"

Jongin looks at his phone to distract himself. "Oh, nothing," the laughter stops, but Jongin couldn't get rid of the stupid smile still on his face. "Nothing at all."

Jongin lifts his head up. The familiar scent of pine catches his attention. He frantically looks around for the source of it.

Could it be..?

Just as he hoped, there was D.O, in front of a building, talking to a woman in a thick dress.

So he's finally found an inn.

Jongin rushes up behind him. "Where in the fuck were you?!" he shouts, ignoring the woman, who looked as if she's seen a monster.

D.O. jumps, turning around quickly. "What the f-...oh, it's you." His shoulders unstiffen once he realizes it's just Jongin. "Did you find who you were looking for?" he asks sarcastically.

Jongin never knew what it's like to be fuming and relieved at the same time. "Yes, I did," he grits his teeth. "Both of them, actually."

"What?"

"That not the point here," Jongin avoids D.O.'s question. "I've been looking for you! I was lost! I was stressed and crying, and you just act like nothing ever happened?"

The woman shyly taps D.O. on the shoulder. "Should I give you two some time?"

"I'll be right with you," D.O. dismisses as if she was the customer, holding up a hand while still facing Jongin. He uses that same hand to point a finger into Jongin's face. "You wanted to stay behind so you could see that hobgoblin of a prince, so I let you."

"But I still went with you, didn't I"

"Well, sorry, I didn't notice."

"Ha. Not surprising for a midget like you."

"What did you call me?" D.O. glares at him.

Jongin straightens up his posture like Prince Baekhyun did, and puffed up his chest. "...Midget."

It takes him a few seconds to register that D.O. had slapped the absolute shit out of him. He covers his left cheek, offended.

"You wanna repeat that?" D.O. takes one step closer.

"Dwarf." It just comes out this time. And though Jongin regrets it, he couldn't just back down after being challenged.

D.O. slaps him across the other cheek. Turns out using different vocabulary didn't give him a pass.

D.O. brings his attention back to the woman behind him. "Where were we?"

"Oh, um...you were interested in renting a room?"

"Yes, and he," D.O. points at Jongin again, "can buy his own."

"What?!"

"I'm not paying for you after being called that."

"Look, I'm sorry. But hotels don't charge per person, that's not how it works. And I have no money," Jongin's tone softens as he tries to draw some mercy out of the protagonist.

"Tough shit," D.O. deadpans. 

"Stop being such a midge-"

Smack.

Jongin puts a hand over his cheek again. This D.O. guy really packs a hit. He was surely going to leave a mark. Jongin is about to retaliate when a foreign party joins in.

"Is there a problem here, ladies and gentlemen?" a voice appears behind Jongin.

They turn to the new speaker, and everyone's jaw drops. All except D.O, who is just as annoyed as he was before. 

Prince Baekhyun's smile is radiant. He looks like a god standing before Jongin. It isn't until this moment that Jongin gets to see Baekhyun's full face. He is unbelievably handsome, as a prince should be.

"This gremlin just called me a midget!" D.O. cries, pointing at Jongin accusingly.

Prince Baekhyun laughs. "There are clouds coming out of your mouth! Has your anger risen your body heat?"

D.O. doesn't say anything, just crosses his arms and looks away. Like a child who didn't get what he wanted.

"We are searching for a room we could maybe stay in while the siege is still happening, Your Highness," Jongin explains.

Baekhyun waves his hand. "Oh, drop the formalities. If you want a room, I have plenty!"

"No, sir," D.O. cuts in quickly. "We can afford our own."

The prince raises an eyebrow. He then turns to the woman. "How much for a night here?"

Flustered, the woman fumbles with her notepad, eventually dropping it. It falls flat on the ground, making a loud sound. "Ah..!"

Prince Baekhyun crouches (Jongin didn't know one could bend down so gracefully) to pick it up, handing it back to the woman. She flushes, thanking him repeatedly.

"Th-that would be, umm...20 gold!" she exclaims, smiling at Prince Baekhyun. She flushes even more when he smiles back.

D.O. expression turns into one of defeat, probably realizing that he didn't have enough money to cover that price, let alone for one night. The prince seems to notice that too.

"Goodness," Prince Baekhyun covers his mouth. "Wherefore the high price? I cannot leave my dear citizen without a home." 

He wraps an arm around D.O, who visibly stiffens. "These two gentlemen will be coming with me, if that is fine with you."

"No, no, not at all!" the woman shakes her head aggressively. "Do as you like, Your Highness!"

Prince Baekhyun flashes a smile at her, and Jongin swears he could see Cupid's bow shoot right through her chest. The three of them walk away in unison, though if it wasn't for the prince's arm around D.O, D.O. probably wouldn't have gone.

"Sir, we're really fine-" D.O. begins, shutting up when Prince Baekhyun pulls him in tighter. Jongin stares at the prince, admiring his authority and confidence. Moreover, how much of a smooth talker he is.

Eventually, Prince Baekhyun's eyes turn to meet his, then a small spark appears in them. "Forgive me if I am wrong, but, were you the person I ran into earlier?"

D.O. shoots a glare towards Jongin. Is bumping into the prince that taboo?

"Y-yes," Jongin stutters, "and I'm sorry about that."

"You needn't apologize," Prince Baekhyun says, now looking forward. "I am the prince after all. How ungraceful of me, not looking where I was going." There is a short pause. "You see, I was in a hurry to see Prince Chan at the gate, but he wasn't there! I'm afraid that this father may have caught him outside the castle. Oh, the poor thing..."

"Why did you have to see him?" Jongin asks, even though he knew the answer.

Your dads are enemies, but you aren't.

"You see, his father isn't too fond of mine..."

Yup.

"But we are the best of buddies."

Yup

"So are our mothers!"

Yup.

D.O. is unamused, already off in his own world. His feet drag across the ground, and the weight of his inventory slows the rest of them down. Jongin wonders what he's thinking about.

Prince Baekhyun asks for their names. Jongin slips and almost introduces D.O. as 'Kyungsoo'.

"Kai and D.O, huh?" the prince hums. "Short and sweet, like all names should be."

Jongin and D.O. exchange looks.

 

The castle is not as huge as Jongin expects it to be. The more time he spends inside, the more it made sense to him. After all, Prince Baekhyun is the king and queen's only son.

The floors are made of yellow marble, and the pillars are golden. Everything about this building is...radiant.

The maids and butlers don't bat an eye at Jongin and D.O.'s arrival, from which Jongin surmises that it is common for the prince to bring people home.

Prince Baekhyun doesn't take off his shoes once inside, which is just plain weird.

"Welcome to my humble abode, where memories are created," he announces proudly. "And babies, too."

D.O. and Jongin's eyes widen.

"I'm joking, I'm joking," Prince Baekhyun laughs. "That's not my...cup of tea." He approaches one of several doors, leaving the other two men wondering what he meant by that.

The room is already unlocked. Jongin follows D.O. inside, both in awe of how big the bed is.

"That's like two kings put together!" Jongin whispers to the shorter man. D.O. nods in agreement, momentarily forgetting his anger towards.

"It's all yours," Prince Baekhyun says from the doorway.

Jongin turns to him. "Your Highness-"

"Baekhyun," the prince corrects. "It's Baekhyun."

Jongin bows a complete 90 degrees. "We cannot thank you enough!"

"I should thank you," Baekhyun replies. "There is rarely ever company here, you know?" He winks, then shuts the door, turning the knob so that it doesn't make noise.

They wait for his footsteps to completely fade. 

Jongin looks at D.O. He is in the same position; poor posture, arms loose at his sides, expression blank...

"What now?" Jongin asks.

Silence.

Right as Jongin is about to sigh, D.O. mutters something.

"...eud."

"What?"

"All this over a stupid feud!" D.O. throws his rucksack onto the ground. The anger in his voice echoes throughout the room. Jongin can hear every breath he takes. 

"D.O...are you," Jongin pauses, "Is this your first time not sleeping in your cabin?"

D.O. doesn't reply, and Jongin takes it as a yes.

He approaches the shorter man, raising a hand to pat his back. "Listen, life was hard for me when I moved out of my parents' house. I wasn't used to the silence, a new bed, coming home from work and expecting someone to be there...It's not always fun the first few days, but I'm sure once the kings settle on an agreement, they'll let you go home in no time, 'kay?."

D.O. stands there, taking in Jongin's words. Jongin can see thoughts run through his head through the windows of his eyes.

"...How did you end up here?" D.O. asks quietly.

Jongin isn't sure how to answer that question. Because how did he get here? He died, didn't he? But why does he feel so alive? 

"I...It's complicated," he sighs. "I wouldn't expect you to understand."

D.O. frowns. He bends down to pick up his bag that he had thrown earlier, taking out its contents one by one; Ammunition, a leather journal, a pen, some books, a necklace, and the rest is extra clothing.

D.O. takes off his coat and hangs it on a nearby coat rack. 

“I’m going back to sleep. What a big waste of my time,” he grumbles, taking off his boots and setting them right next to the bed. He slides right under the covers, not bothering to say, ‘goodnight’. 

Jongin yawns. He is tired, but would D.O. be okay with that?

He sneaks out of the room, making sure to turn the knob before closing the door behind him. 

If he were Baekhyun, where would he be right now?

Right when Jongin realizes it was probably a better idea to stay in that room, one of Baekhyun’s butlers pass by. 

“Excuse me,” Jongin calls, making the butler halt to a stop. “Um, do you happen to know where Baekhyun went?”

The butler looks taken aback by Jongin not calling the prince by his full title. He quickly recovers, pointing down the hallway. “He should be in the dining room.”

Jongin looks in that direction. “Oh...” the hallway is unbelievably huge. He nervously fiddles with his fingers. 

“I will lead the way," the butler says. Jongin thanks him as he walks past.

 

Baekhyun is eating cake when Jongin enters the dining room. The prince freezes as they meet eye contact, a spoonful of cake in front of his open mouth. He looks like a deer caught in headlights.

"Just wanted to see around the castle," Jongin says.

Baekhyun puts down his fork, clearing his throat. "Yes, right," he grins mischievously, "Funny how I'm in the first room you go to."

Jongin scratches the back of his neck, laughing nervously. He closes the doors behind him, approaching the dining table. Baekhyun pulls out a nearby chair, and Jongin takes the invitation to sit in it.

"So, you live outside the city?" Baekhyun folds his hands on the table.

"Um, I guess you could say that," Jongin says.

"You guess?" the prince tilts his head.

"I mean," Jongin looks down at his fidgeting hands, "My real home is...very far away."

"Do you need help returning?"

"Don't worry about me."

Baekhyun furrows his eyebrows in worry. He lowers his gaze in thought for a moment, then looks back at Jongin. "How is your friend?"

"D.O? Oh, he's..." Jongin trails off. How does D.O. feel about him? Based on what he's seeing so far, that man is pretty much bipolar. One minute, he sees Jongin as a casual friend and the next, he's a disgusting pig. "...He actually doesn't like me."

"What?!" Baekhyun puts a hand over his chest. "But you travel together!"

"We've only known each other for a few days." And by a few days, I mean since yesterday. Jongin laughs it off, trying to make it sound more light-hearted.

His breath hitches as Baekhyun reaches over to touch his arm. The prince looks deep into his eyes. "I will help you get some alone time to talk things out. You'll be holding hands and skipping across meadows together in no time."

"No, you don't hav-"

"But I want to," Baekhyun says, determination in his tone. "I know Mister D.O. is a good man, and so are you. If you refuse to love your neighbor, you can't live in harmony. And without harmony, the world cannot be a good place. In short, war is stupid."

Jongin nods slowly. Baekhyun is right, but it's not that he hates D.O, nor vice versa. They just don't know each other that well. Actually, Jongin knows everything about D.O, just not the other way around.

But if Jongin knows every detail about D.O, he should know how to talk to him...right? 

No. Those details are supposed to be shared through the quality time spent.

You've only talked one-on-one with Kyungsoo for a day. How did you get along with him, but not D.O?

D.O. and Kyungsoo are two different people.

In what ways are they different?

Well, Kyungsoo is...

He's more...

He...

"Kai?" Baekhyun suddenly interrupts. Jongin snaps out of it. 

"...Huh?"

"You should go back to bed. You look like you've gone a few hours without rest." Baekhyun rises out of his chair and makes his way to the door. "Come. I will take you back to your room."

 

When Jongin enters their room, D.O. is awake again, catching Jongin by surprise. He pauses before approaching the bed. "I thought you were going to sleep."

The closer he gets, he notices that D.O. is reading a book. His eyes widen for a second, thinking it was Kyungsoo that he's looking at.

D.O. ignores him and flips a page. 

Is he upset?

Jongin reaches out to tap his shoulder, but stops himself. He slowly lowers his hand.

"D.O?" 

"Where were you?" D.O. snaps. Like a husband who thinks he's caught his wife cheating.

Jongin is taken aback by his harsh tone. "I was with Prince Baekhyun. Why?"

D.O. says nothing for a while, then shuts his eyes, letting out a long sigh. "If you're gonna leave, at least say something."

What? Jongin watches as D.O. closes his book, sets it to one side, and slides back under the covers. He pulls the blanket all the way over his head, something Jongin has never seen someone do. 

...Was he waiting for me?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aaaand, chapter 5 is out! I'll try and update one last time before flying to meet my boyfriend in Japan, which is in like 2 weeks. Hope you guys enjoyed this!
> 
> P.S. comments are very appreciated ^ o ^


	6. Phoenix

_Thump_.

_Thump...thump._

_Thump._

Jongin sighs in frustration. He rises to the tip of his toes, reaching as high as he can. The ladder he's standing on wobbles, and he grabs a tree branch before he could fall to his possible death—again. This causes more apples to fall off the branch.

"You're bruising them, you twat!" D.O. shouts from the bottom of the ladder, hand cupping around his mouth. He bends down to pick up the apples Jongin had dropped, brushing the dirt off of them. "...Who even eats Red Delicious?" He grumbles to himself. 

Jongin successfully climbs down the ladder unharmed, exclaiming, "I did it! I didn't drop any this time!" 

D.O. looks unimpressed. "You got  _one_."

"A handsome one," Jongin adds. He places his one good apple in D.O.'s basket, then begins to search for another good tree.

Baekhyun is sure to scold him for the number of bruised apples caused by Jongin, and Jongin only.

"Don't you think _I_  deserve a turn at picking?" D.O. asks from behind him.

Jongin scoffs. "With a height like _that_?"

D.O. drops his basket. Jongin starts running when he hears D.O.'s footsteps quicken.

The night before, Baekhyun had told Jongin that he planned on giving him and D.O. a job that would force them to cooperate. He claimed it would be a 'bonding experience'. Now that Jongin thinks about it, maybe he was better of telling the prince that there were other ways of going about it.

But he did not have the heart to, so now he reaps the consequences of being chased by a midget, through an apple orchard, at twilight, while laughing and screaming at the same time.

After the sun had made its turn past the sky, the temperature had risen a fair amount. Because of that, D.O. kept his coat off for the rest of the day. It wasn't until then that Jongin had a chance to observe how small D.O. really is.

So small...

Just like Kyungsoo...

...

What would happen if he stopped? Let D.O. catch him? Even for just a second, will he get to know what it's like to fall into Kyungsoo's arms?

His sore lungs order his feet to slow down. His breathing becomes ragged. How far have they even gone?

Jongin turns around, only to have D.O. come crashing into him. The impact knocks the breath out of both of them as they fall to the ground, D.O. on top.

The birds fly away. Any small mammals that might've been near, scurry away. The only thing audible becomes Jongin's own breathing.

Jongin knows it might sound cliché, but...it really does feel like they are the only two left in the world. With D.O.'s face only a few inches from his, his problems, worries, and insecurities all disappear at once.

They stay like this for god knows how long. Jongin's lost track of time. D.O. has his eyes wide open, yet his expression is unreadable. The anger he's felt earlier is now gone. Jongin searches for any emotion other than shock and confusion, but comes back empty-handed.

Then, that small amount of bliss is gone.

He expects something witty to come out of D.O.'s mouth, but nothing comes. He feels D.O.'s weight being lifted off, leaving him with something to be desired. 

By the time Jongin gets on his feet, D.O. is already heading for the basket. The sky is losing its purples and pinks, and it is becoming too dark for Jongin to see past D.O.'s silhouette. 

He rushes to catch up with the protagonist, thinking _what did he just do? And for what reason?_

D.O. is stiff in his movements. Obviously, he is affected by what happened. Knowing this makes Jongin want to just return back to the room and never have to see D.O. again.

A fat moment of silence ensues. When Jongin opens his mouth to apologize, D.O. suddenly speaks, as if to purposely cut him off. "I didn't really intend to do anything once I caught you."

Jongin stares at him, then faces forward, internally sighing. "I don't know what I was doing either," he admits. "Sorry..."

D.O. seems to lighten up at being apologized to. A slight smile appears on his face. "Don't stress."

"You just really remind me of someone I-...I once knew."

Silence.

"...Are they dead?" D.O. asks quite bluntly.

Jongin holds his breath. _Oh, you have no idea._ "No, he's alive...I think." He runs a hand through his hair, hoping Kyungsoo hadn't been caught in the middle of the shooting.

D.O. hums in amusement. The conversation ends there. They return to the castle after D.O. insists on picking some apples on his own, to satisfy Baekhyun. Jongin didn't have the heart to tell him that Baekhyun doesn't even like apples.

When they enter through the doors, the prince rushes up to Jongin, taking hold of both his hands. From the sparks in his eyes, Jongin  can tell that Baekhyun wants to ask, "How did it go?"

Acting like he didn't just do the equivalent of farting on the first date, Jongin smiles and gives him a thumbs-up. Baekhyun lights up like a Christmas tree, tightening his grip on Jongin's hands.

"Chanyeol is in the dining room, make sure to say hi," Baekhyun whispers before turning his attention on D.O, who is standing beside him.

Chanyeol?!

Jongin's eyes widen. He puts down the apple basket and sprints as fast as he can to the dining room. His footsteps echo throughout the castle walls, his shoes occasionally squeaking against the marble flooring. 

If this 'Chanyeol' looks like his best friend, Jongin's theory can be completely confirmed.

Said prince was in Baekhyun's seat, eating a slice of the same cake. He is unbothered by Jongin's arrival, shamelessly loading his cheeks with strawberry shortcake like he's been starved.

Jongin doesn't know what made him, but he shouts, "Yeol!" as soon as he sees the man.

This catches Chanyeol's full attention. He watches in curiosity as Jongin marches over, grabs his chin and leans in to inspect his face.

Holy smokes, it really _is_ Chanyeol. Same hair, same eyes, same stupid face...It was like he just decided to put on a fancy suit.

Chanyeol drops his fork and swallows his cake, Adam's Apple traveling far. Rightfully, he looks taken aback. Not the, 'you've-just-violated-my-personal-space' kind of shock, but a genuine, innocent one.

The next thing Jongin knows, Chanyeol suddenly leans in and touches his lips against Jongin's.

_What..?_

It takes Jongin a few seconds to register, but when he gains back his control, he shoves the prince away. "What the fuck?!" he yells, aggressively wiping his mouth with a sleeve.

Chanyeol stares at him. "What?"

"You don't just take someone's first kiss right after meeting them!"

"That was yer first?"

God, he sounds just like Chanyeol.

"Yes, dimwit!"

"..." Chanyeol's mouth hangs open. "Oh, my bad...you were sorta actin' like you wanted to..."

Jongin almost blushes. He puts his hands on his cheeks to cool them down.

That really was his first. And to think he would lose it to his best friend out of all people is the most absurd thing. It doesn't help that Chanyeol is actually quite good-looking.

Jongin internally slaps himself. _No, he's not! Chanyeol's the ugliest fucker I've come across. For sure!_

Baekhyun walks in, D.O. following closely. "I heard shouting?"

Jongin points at Chanyeol. "He kissed me."

Baekhyun and D.O.'s faces morph into ones of shock. Chanyeol picks his fork back up and resumes eating his cake as if nothing happened. "Don't believe him."

Baekhyun gives him a stern look. "Is this true?"

"Good lord, no!" Chanyeol puts a hand over his chest, feigning hurt.

Jongin glares at him in disbelief. As expected, this one was no different than the Park Chanyeol back home; mischievous and quick to act. But how dare he make Jongin look like the bad guy?

Baekhyun looks at Jongin, then at Prince Chanyeol, then back at Jongin.

"He's pretty red" D.O. suddenly speaks up, arms crossed. He and Jongin exchange glances. Jongin almost sighs aloud in relief at the knowing look in D.O.'s eyes.

Speechless, Baekhyun doesn't know what to do. With no further words, he simply stalks out of the room, leaving the other three men to themselves.

Chanyeol let out a heavy sigh. He gets up to follow Baekhyun, hitting Jongin with a side-eye as he strode past.

Jongin frowns as his heart drops. Maybe he's lost his chances of becoming friends with Chanyeol in this world. 

Good old Chanyeol...Always beside Jongin wherever he went. Sometimes, he didn't take things as seriously as Jongin liked, but he was still there. Always started conversations between Jongin and Kyungsoo when Jongin didn't have the balls to do it himself. Was always Jongin's humor outlet. 

All of that, gone for good. Replaced by a whole different person.

D.O. studies Jongin's features, wondering where that sad look of fondness came from. Was Chanyeol the person Jongin was referring to, back in the orchard?

No, that can't be. D.O. is nothing like him. Not even close.

Then who was Jongin speaking of? And why is it so personal that he just can't tell D.O.?

D.O. slightly startles when Jongin suddenly turns to meet his gaze. His smile doesn't reach his eyes. "Shall we return to the room?"

Not used to Jongin's politeness, D.O. absentmindedly nods and follows him to their room. 

The two princes are nowhere to be seen in the hallways. D.O. assumes they are both in Baekhyun's room, likely having an argument of some kind. Because of how jumpy Jongin usually is, he expects him to say at least something. Instead, his ears are met with the mere sound of their feet.

At some point during their return, D.O. realizes how much he prefers the normal Jongin is over this one.

 

Baekhyun has his hands crossed when Chanyeol opens the doors to his room. His entrance receives no acknowledgment. He closes the golden doors behind him. "What's the matter?"

Baekhyun thumps his foot repeatedly, taking slow breaths. He stops and raises his hands in defeat, heading for his bed. "Forget about it."

"No, you tell me. You always do this; I do somethin', an' you go sulkin' in yer room. Next day, you stop talkin' to me, an' I'm gettin' _real_ tired of it," Chanyeol's voice slightly raises, earning a wary look from his friend. Baekhyun doesn't have a comeback, and so he stays quiet. Chanyeol takes a few steps closer to Baekhyun. "Is it 'cause we barely see each other nowadays?" he asks, tone softer this time. "Is that it?"

Baekhyun is sitting on the edge of his bed, posture slouched, head hung. His eyes roam the floor, doing everything they can to avoid Chanyeol's. Still no words.

"Look," Chanyeol gets on one knee in front of Baekhyun, tall height almost matching Baekhyun's. He puts a hand on Baekhyun's thigh, patting it reassuringly. "I'd travel for days if it meant I could see you. An' just 'cause our papas ain't gettin' along, don't mean we can't."

Baekhyun nods timidly, his gaze downward.

A lightbulb appears next to Chanyeol's head. "Oh, yer mad 'cause I kissed yer friend, ain'tcha?" He tilts his head to enter Baekhyun's line of view, a cheeky grin on his face.

Baekhyun smacks his arm, hard. "Oh, shut up!"

"Ya jealous?"

"No!"

"Don't you lie to me," Chanyeol sings, wiggling his fingers and slowly bringing them closer to Baekhyun's sides. Baekhyun leans back, eyebrows furrowed. His ticklish spot is actually where his torso meets his legs, but Chanyeol couldn't know that.

"Yeol," he says firmly, hoping his friend would realize he isn't in the mood to play around. The joy in Chanyeol's expression slightly dies away, and a rare awkwardness sets between them.

Chanyeol was never the type to commit. In fact, one would be better off his friend rather than a partner. Looking back, Baekhyun admits he is glad he didn't try and take things further than just being pals. But it always held a place in his mind; the hope that maybe he  _has_  caught Chanyeol's interest at one point. Just for reassurance.

Chanyeol is like a phoenix; brilliant, and dazzling. Demands attention just by being there. But you never know what he's thinking. He could very well just decide to open his wings and fly away, leaving you in a cloud of thick air that couldn't satisfy your lungs no matter how many breaths you take.

There's always something missing, yet Baekhyun just couldn't put his finger on it.

 

A good ten minutes pass since Jongin and the protagonist reach their room. The only audible sound is D.O. flipping pages on one side of the bed while on the other, Jongin lies deep in this thoughts.

The writer doesn't speak a word, at which D.O. isn't _too_  upset about. After all, it leaves some alone time for him, right?

D.O. sneezes. It causes a startle in the room as it had been silent up until now. Jongin stares wide-eyed at D.O. covering his mouth in embarrassment. Then, he couldn't help but laugh at the fact that D.O. managed to scare himself.

D.O. smacks the back of his head. "Shut up, you never heard a sneeze?"

"Ah...that's cute," Jongin struggles to say between giggles. D.O. uses a sleeve to wipe his nose. The nerve of this man...

Jongin crawls toward him. D.O. is about to scoot the other direction, then realizes that would send him over the edge. He suspiciously eyes Jongin up and down. 

"I'm not gonna do anything," Jongin reassures. D.O. slowly lowers his guard as the other gets in a comfortable position next to him.

"Whatcha reading?" Jongin whispers. The question seems to go in one ear and out the other because D.O. completely ignores him for a moment. 

He flips a page. "...Fairytales."

Why did Jongin expect him to answer with a Fifty Shades book?

He actually read the first book, and needless to say, it wasn't as exciting as people ramped it up to be. But Kyungsoo worshipped the whole series. Jongin never understood the appeal. Kyungsoo didn't seem like the BDSM type. Then again, you couldn't judge a book by its cover.

Jongin peeks at the pages of D.O.'s book. It was on Rumpelstiltskin.

"Sleeping Beauty's my favorite," He says. D.O. faces him, looking offended.

"The hell?"

"You don't like it?"

"It's the worst one!"

"Why?"

D.O.'s eyebrows relax as he stares off into space. Jongin waits for an answer, afraid he's triggered a flashback. He gently nudges D.O. "He brought the princess back to life through true love's tears. Imagine that happening to you!"

"Disgusting."

"...Okay, hurtful."

D.O. shrugs. "I don't understand. Why not follow your dead wife into the afterlife?"

"Because there _is_ no after-..." Jongin trails off, eyes widening once he realizes his current situation. D.O. eyes him, wondering if he's accidentally caused a flashback. He waves in Jongin's face, tearing him from his thoughts.

The writer crosses his arms. "Well, I'd like to hear _your_ favorite, then."

"Hansel and Gretel."

"Disgusting!"

"No," D.O. points at the pages, "They both devised a plan to escape their problem, which was the deadbeat mother. And it _worked_. And they killed the witch all by themselves. What did Aurora do?"

"..."

"Exactly. She is weak, she died from touching a _needle_ , and slept while her prince fought the villain. How lovely."

Jongin has no comeback. He never had too much of a problem with Mary Sues, but did avoid them while writing his story. Only because it was cliche.

But D.O. hates them with a burning passion.

"D.O...do you dislike women?"

"Not particularly. I just don't understand how someone could marry her," D.O. exhales. He closes his book, setting it on a nearby dresser. "What time is it?"

"Uuh," Jongin looks around for a clock and fails to find one. "It's...dark."

D.O. turns off the lamp on the dresser then lies down, pulling the blanket up to cover his ears. "Scoot."

They both shift to the middle of the bed. Jongin sits up when he cannot find a position to sleep in. "Hey, D.O.?"

"Mm."

"Why do you sleep like that?"

"Like what?"

"You cover your ears."

D.O. takes a while to respond. 

"...Ghosts."

Jongin laughs. This guy really is a child. "Ghosts?"

"It stuck with me since childhood, shut up," D.O. hisses. "And it's cold."

Jongin hums in amusement. Since childhood, huh? He really can't blame him. Not with all the rumors that used to go around about ghosts whispering in one's ear while they're asleep.

"I've always wondered," D.O. says.

"What?" Jongin asks. D.O. is deep in thought, wondering whether or not he should say what he's thinking.

"I've been wondering," he restarts. "...Is Kai _really_ your name?"

Jongin's heart skips a beat. How did he know? Did Jongin give it away? Is he that bad of an actor?

"Just wondering," D.O. adds, as if he could sense Jongin's panic.

Jongin considers it for a long minute. He finally gives in, sighing in defeat. "Honestly, no."

"So you lied."

"No, it's not like that! I just thought it would be safer if I didn't tell you my real name, so I just said the first thing that came to mind-"

"I did too," D.O. cuts him off. Their eyes meet for a split second before D.O. looks away. "...To be fair, only an idiot would believe someone was actually named 'D.O.' at birth."

Jongin is speechless. But he clearly introduced this character as, "D.O." It's the only name he was ever referred to as. Why are things becoming different now?

"Kai," D.O. says. "Nothing will change if you just tell me real name, but..."

Jongin knows what he's implying. He wants Jongin to confess. Of course. There's no harm in doing so. They're basically travel-partners. Of course.

Of course.

"I'll tell you if," Jongin taps his chin, "If...you tell me yours."

D.O. suddenly looks reluctant. "...Fine."

"On the count of three. One...two...three."

"Jongin." "Kyungsoo."

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Flight to Japan is today, my dudes! Thank you to those who read this, and I'm glad if you enjoyed this chapter. I'll see you guys in a week and a half! :)


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